.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

z987k

WKR
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
1,819
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AK
Most people claiming hogs are “super tough” shoot them in the wrong place.
It's the case for everything that is "tough" or needs some massive magnum to kill it from all the lore.
Their shot placement is shit and it can't be them, it's the animals wearing armor and toughness.
 

Big_wals

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2020
Messages
405
Location
W Texas
Eagerly waiting on the Southern boys to get some more data on the 75 grain sabre blade from AAC...looks promising and the price is unbeatable for loaded ammo. Nothing is open for killin' up North or id do the dirty work myself
Ordered 300 rounds of it last night. Not sure how soon I’ll have a chance to use em, but will post results when I do 🤞 My brother in law has been using 62 gr AAC sabers out of a slower twist mini 14, they seem to work fine. Pretty violent and not as much penetration as I’d like, but they kill.
 

plebe

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 15, 2021
Messages
266
It's the case for everything that is "tough" or needs some massive magnum to kill it from all the lore.
Their shot placement is shit and it can't be them, it's the animals wearing armor and toughness.

Form talked about toughness as a sometimes individual characteristic and I rather agree. Some beings just die hard.
 

yeti12

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 21, 2023
Messages
231
0 error shooting, sure. that’s nobody I’ve met.
I feel like a natural will to live and toughness get kinda mixed up, interchanged, whatever People think something ran away with a bullet straight through the heart and will call it tough "cause it should have died" when actually it wasn't a lethal shot. The animal just ran away and will live. It wasn't tough, it just has a will to live. Kinda like mentioned above, all animals die the same. Can't tough it through zero blood pressure.
 

JBradley500

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Messages
297
I went shooting today. 300 win mag, 308 semi, and 6.5 CM. The 308 is no problem, the 6.5 is borderline enjoyable to shoot, but the 8lb 300 win mag isn't much fun after 1 or 2 mags. I catch myself not getting behind the scope consistently. I am anticipating recoil and changing my grip from shot to shot.

What's my point? I did miss shooting 223. I am way more confident in my shooting of a 223. I feel like I'm personally just fine to shoot 6.5 cm hunting without flinch/anticipation, but 223 is so much more fun to put a bunch of rounds down range, not to mention that my rifle in 223 is so much more enjoyable to carry around. End of story time.
 

KHntr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
Messages
175
Location
Northern British Columbia
Any experience with the Hornady 75gr BTHP?

I do, on whitetails and black bears.
Not in the same category at all. They deflect a little easier as near as I can tell, and don't open up the same. They will crush shoulders if you are reasonably broadside and break bones, and that is your best bet as near as I can tell if you are using them.

Seem to be a little harder maybe than the others in the category, and need a lot of resistance and impact velocity. I only tried them as I thought they might be a bit tougher than the 75 Amax I had been using. Turns out that isn't necessarily a good thing.
 

Blaw

WKR
Joined
Oct 9, 2017
Messages
354
Location
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
My guess is that it will kill fine for most uses, however the penetration is on the low end. The 100gr 6.5 version should be just fine for killing.

Those bullet with a tapered jacket from from the ELD-X would be fantastic- like a TMK.
@Formidilosus or anyone else.
anymore info on the hornady eld-vt 100gr bullet for the 6.5 creed. I'm shooting an 18.5" barrel with Winchester staball 6.5
I seem to get 200ish fps less that max velocity on imr's calculator. I should get around 3050fps mv

that would be a slick little bullet getting me out to 650ish yards with 1800fps being the impact velocity goal.
 

Big_wals

WKR
Joined
Mar 14, 2020
Messages
405
Location
W Texas
IMG_1009.png

Anybody have any experience with these? Wondering if they are comparable to the 62 grain gold dot or federal fusion bullet.
 

Jt89

FNG
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Messages
40
Location
New Zealand, down undah!
@Formidilosus or anyone else.
anymore info on the hornady eld-vt 100gr bullet for the 6.5 creed. I'm shooting an 18.5" barrel with Winchester staball 6.5
I seem to get 200ish fps less that max velocity on imr's calculator. I should get around 3050fps mv

that would be a slick little bullet getting me out to 650ish yards with 1800fps being the impact velocity goal.
I definitely want to see some ELD-VT necropsy photos. To my mind they're everything a Lapua Scenar/Berger with the large cavity behind the open tip *should* be were it not for their tougher jackets.
 

Gettincloser

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
237
I am only on page 68 and post 1341... still playing catchup. I have already order 200 rounds of loaded 77gr TMK and do not own a rifle yet. I was thinking about a 223 AI and based on this reply, you have or had one. The beauty of the AI is you can shoot standard 223 rem or 223 AI. What accuracy were you seeing firing standard 223 rem out of your 223 AI? Is it worth building a 223 AI for extra velocity when you reload and still have the pleasure of picking up shelf ammo if you want/need? Or does it only make sense to get the 223 AI if you are more or less hand loading?

In central TX we do not get many deer over 200#. Hogs on the other hand, we have had above 290 (3x) but never broke 300#. This sounds like a fun setup to hunt hay fields for the deer/hog/coyote.

I have seen hog pictures but I have not seen "big" hog pictures. Are they carrying them off, people are not talking about it? I wouldn't think that big hogs are tougher than moose... but they can have a 2-3" thick shield outside the shoulder. Not sure about moose hide/shield... feel free to educate me with regard to big hogs as well.

*At this rate, I will get to the end of this thread in the next 6 months!
 

JBradley500

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 15, 2020
Messages
297
I couldn't imagine a benefit to an AI 223 with 77tmk unless you're shooting very long ranges and need more speed to stay above minimum impact velocity.
 
Joined
Apr 9, 2023
Messages
372
385 pages to justify the use of a caliber and load as a big game cartridge is indeed remarkable! Is this a Rokslide record yet? It`s interesting that this thread even gets comments on other sites! Never guessed my little ole Savage 110 in .223 could be so " controversial".
 

wirehead

WKR
Joined
Nov 1, 2021
Messages
314
Have a 22-250 with 1:12 twist. 77 gr TMKs are pretty much a no-go due to barrel twist rate… at least that’s my assumption.

So what’s the recommended bullet for such a cartridge and twist rate for deer?
 

Axlrod

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
1,469
Location
SW Montana
I am only on page 68 and post 1341... still playing catchup. I have already order 200 rounds of loaded 77gr TMK and do not own a rifle yet. I was thinking about a 223 AI and based on this reply, you have or had one. The beauty of the AI is you can shoot standard 223 rem or 223 AI. What accuracy were you seeing firing standard 223 rem out of your 223 AI? Is it worth building a 223 AI for extra velocity when you reload and still have the pleasure of picking up shelf ammo if you want/need? Or does it only make sense to get the 223 AI if you are more or less hand loading?

In central TX we do not get many deer over 200#. Hogs on the other hand, we have had above 290 (3x) but never broke 300#. This sounds like a fun setup to hunt hay fields for the deer/hog/coyote.

I have seen hog pictures but I have not seen "big" hog pictures. Are they carrying them off, people are not talking about it? I wouldn't think that big hogs are tougher than moose... but they can have a 2-3" thick shield outside the shoulder. Not sure about moose hide/shield... feel free to educate me with regard to big hogs as well.

*At this rate, I will get to the end of this thread in the next 6 months!
I have had a couple 223 AI's. The top 2 best things are they look cool and you don't have to trim brass as much/ever. The velo gains are not much, and won't hardly be noticeable in any hunting situation.
But if you just want something different and have no regard for money do it!
I think I gained about 2 grains of H2O capacity. But here is some info on 223/223 AI.

If you want about the most capacity from a 223 based case, look into the 22-204.
 
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